Office of Advancement

Office of Advancement

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We are grateful for your generous gifts that support our students!

Private support from alumni and friends is essential to fulfilling the teaching, leading, and serving mission of the College of Education at Illinois. State funding is declining. In fact, today state funding accounts for less than 19% of the University’s total budget—a sharp decline from the nearly 50% in the early 1980s. Even as tuition rises for students, tuition alone does not cover the cost of education. The truth is the actual cost of a college education is nearly twice the amount of tuition.

We are grateful for the gifts that allow us to attract the best and the brightest students. Your support helps makes education affordable for our students through scholarships and fellowships. Additionally, your gifts provide programs and exepreinces both in and out of the classroom, that elevate the student experience. With your support we can hire and retain top education faculty, making the College of Education at Illinois a leader in quality and innovative undergraduate and graduate education.

Gifts in Action

Alumna Donna Reichmann earned her master's degree in education in 1970. When she could not find a teaching job in the States, she took a leap of faith and travelled to Iran where she taught for three years. She has since enjoyed a successful teaching career and has founded her own consulting firm, Leadership Solutions, based out of North Carolina. Today, Reichmann credits her success to the education that she received at the University of Illinois. To give back to Illinois in gratitude for that education, Reichmann created the Donna Reichmann Award to support graduate students interested in human resource development. Read more about her story and the impact of her gift on today's education students...